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Should the color of the wood floor be close to that of your wood furniture, or should it contrast? ie, dark furniture-light floors?

Interesting question.

I think of most hardwood floors as rather neutral. I wouldn't even think of trying to match furniture wood to floor color. If, for some reason, your existing wood floor doesn't look right to you with the furniture, a good-looking area rug can provide the needed contrast or harmony.

Joking aside, I think there are more considerations to take into account when choosing floor stain.

Generally, contrast is good, but I've also seen very light colored minimalist interiors paired with blonde wood floors, and rich, dark antique-filled rooms with dark floors and various darker-stains on the furniture.

I tend to think that the lighter the floor color, the more informal and modern the room (think "bamboo flooring").

Mid-range tones like a Honey Oak seem old fashioned and warm and work well with country furniture, primitive antiques and look especially charming in wide-plank flooring.

I think it's more important that a room be beautiful WITHOUT furniture. If the aesthetic works in this simple state, then the room will only get more comfortable and attractive as you furnish it.

I don't consider myself "an artist" but I've done a good deal of graphic design over the years and there is one pitfall I learned quickly. If your design "feels" right in a rudimentary state then you're on the right track. If you get to a nearly finished concept and you're not in love and you find yourself adding non-foundation elements to make the design "work" (i.e., furniture, decorative accessories) then you've got a bad aesthetic foundation.

I think it's possible to marry similar furniture and floor tones if the visual interest lies somewhere else. For example, here is an older photo of my office after I repainted the boring white walls and selected furniture:

The bare section of wall now holds a large handmade world map painted on leather and it shares the warm earthy tones. This room has two 36" x 60" windows facing the landscaped gardens outside so the warm earthy tones are complemented by the cool garden tones seen through the windows.

I love the color of my heart pine floors, a complex, reddish, chestnut-brown. I didn't really try to select furniture to match/contrast, but the walls are light. A contractor told me the wood had been protected with polyurethane but I think that 175 years of age gives them the character. It is some of the hardest wood I've ever seen, you could drop a hammer from shoulder height and it would not dent the surface. Another of our houses had Douglas fir flooring which was nice but the heart pine is superior.

I've got all oak flooring in a few different styles in an attempt by the original owner and builder to stay true to a williamsburg colonial vibe. They even went so far as to avoid poly coating altogether in favor of paste waxed floors. They require waxing, buffing and polishing once annually. The house is 7,000 square feet. On the plus side I can hold a bottle of mountain dew and spin it open with two fingers now, lol. Wax on, Wax off, Wax on, Wax off. Myagi Doh!

Sean

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